“Bitch Of Living” with Melchior (Bennet Preuss) and the boys of Spring Awakening. (Photo courtesy of Theatre South Playhouse)
Located in an intimate venue inside Orlando’s Theatre South Playhouse, “Spring Awakening” — which ends its run June 20-22 — reminds audiences of the consequences we suffer when hiding from the truth.
Set in 1890 Germany, the cautionary tale shows the importance of educating, listening and speaking the truth to youth. It is a reminder that everyone’s time is precious.
Hillary Brook, executive and artistic director, says the play hits home harder than ever with the modern day world of book banning, abortion bans and threats to our freedom. She stressed that almost all of the themes from the play are relevant in today’s world.
There is sadness in the show, but she says she wants people to leave it with a belief in celebrating life, especially those in their youth.
The characters in “Spring Awakening” grapple with complexities of sexual awakening, identity and the pressures exerted by parents and educational systems.
In 1891, the play was banned on the first night of its original run. It was put on again and banned again in the 1960s.
Johnny Jones, business manager, says good theater always has a message or lesson. Jones expresses how timely the show is for the political climate in Florida but especially Orlando.
“Our government has basically adopted the mindset of if we don’t talk about certain things, then they just won’t exist,” Jones says. “And we know that is not true, and we know that that is actually violent and that it causes young people in particular to self harm because they internally feel, ‘Why am I a secret? What is wrong with me that I can’t speak about my life, my truth?'”
They stress that secrecy doesn’t work. If people talk about situations then we can learn and engage, Jones says.
With two gay characters, Hanschen and Ernst, the play doesn’t get them into trouble for being gay. There is nothing negative about their relationship — if anything, Brook says, it’s a celebration.
In the production, Brook says the audience can see the two in ensemble scenes dancing together and growing in their relationship.
Jones says people within the LGBTQ+ community can relate to the whispered conversations characters have but there is no shock value to make their love story or “a gay punchline.”
“The wonderful thing about the way it’s written in the show and in this production in particular is… it’s not there out of tokenism,” they say.
With a 99-seat functioning theater including lighting and sound, the space provides an intimate setting for small productions. The theater is located in the back of Marketplace at Dr Phillips.
”I think people are quick to talk about how intimate or small our space is, but it really does help our storytelling because the audience is forced to be involved,” Brook explains. “I think it really does add to the preciousness of seeing a show here because you actually leave feeling like you were part of it.”
Brook says the team of “Spring Awakening” has a lot of love for the story. They have a great appreciation for the text, she notes.
Theatre South Playhouse is proud of not making “carbon copy productions,” Brook also adds. The team will take the story and read it with fresh eyes to tell it in their own way.
“When I see a show come together like ‘Spring Awakening’ it makes it worth it,” Brook says. “It makes me understand why we’re still here.”
“Spring Awakening” plays at Theatre South Playhouse in Marketplace at Dr Phillips with four final shows June 20-22. Tickets range from $21-42 and are available at TeachTix.org.
